-592 

IE STORY OF LEWIS AND CLARK'S JOURNALS. 

.T54 
Copy 1 






REUBEN GOLD THWAITES, LL. D., 

SECRETAKY ANI> SUPERINTENDENT OF WISCONSIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



Reprinted from the Annual Report of the American Historical Association 
for the year 1903, Vol. I, pages 105-129. 



WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 

1904. 




Qass. 
Book. 



I'^^ K 



y 



1 



'SH- 



v.— THE STORY (IF LEWIS AND CLARK'S JOURNALS. 



By REUBEN GOLD THWAITES, LL. D., 

Secrtlanj and SiijiDintriulcnt nf Wisconsin HiMorical Sucklj/. 



105 



. 7 



FEB 16 1905 
D.ofD, 



THE STORY OF LEWIS AND CLARK'S JOURNALS. 



By Reubex (ioiJ) Thwaites, LL. D. 



The story of the records of the transcontinental exploration 
of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark (1803-1806) is almost 
as romantic as that of the great discovery itself. 

In his detailed instructions to Lewis, dated June 20, 1803 '^, 
President Jefferson displayed particular concern for the 
journals of the proposed expedition to the Pacific, which, with 
all possible scientific data, were to l)e prepared " with great 
pains & accuracy, to be entered distinctly & intellig-il)ly for 
others as well as yourself." The notes of the two captains 
were to be guarded against loss by making copies of them — 
'' one of these copies [to] be written on the paper of the birch, 
as less liable to injury from damp than common paper." ^ 
Not only were Lewis and Clark to keep such journals, but 
their men were encouraged to do likewise. 

The two leaders faithfully performed their duty in this 
regard, and the four sergeants — Charles Floyd, Patrick Gass, 
John Ordwa}', and Nathaniel Pr3^or — also wrote journals. 
Tradition has it that at least three of the twenty -three pri- 
vates were, as well, diarists upon the expedition, but the oidy 
private's notebook now known to us is that of Joseph 
Whitehouse.'' 

It was the daily custom of the captains to make rough 
notes, with rude outline maps, plans, and miscellaneous 
sketches, in field books which they doubtless carried in their 
pockets. When encamped for a protracted period, these were 

aState Department (Washington, D. C), Bureau of Rolls, Jefferson Papers, series 1, 
vol. 9, doc 269. 

&This suggestion was not adopted in practice. 

<^ In the camp orders issued by Lewis and Clark, May 2G, 1804, occurs this sentence: 
"The serg's. in addition to those [other] duties are directed to keep a seperate journal 
from day to day of all pafsing occurrences, and such other observat-ons on the country 
&(•., as shall appear to them worthy of notice." 

107 



108 AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION. 

developed into more forniul records. In this development 
each often borrowed freely from the other's notes — Lewis, 
the better scholar of the two, generally rtnvritino- in his own 
manner the material obtained from Clark; but the latter not 
infrequently copied Lewis practically verbatim, but with his 
own phonetic spelling. 

I'pon reaching St. I^ouis, on the return (September 2;^, 
18(H)), these individual journals wer(> for the most part trans- 
cribed by their authors into neat blank books — bound in red 
morocco, and gilt-edged — with the thought of prejjaring them 
for early publication. After this process, the original held 
books must have been cast aside and in large measure des- 
troA'ed; for ])ut one of these" is now known to exist — a l)ulky 
duodecimo, containing about 20,000 words, wrapped in an 
irregular piece of soft elkskin. rudely stitched to the back. 
There have come down to us, however, several notebooks 
which apparently were written up in the camps. 

Altogether, these journals of the captains cover each and 
every day the expedition was out; largely a douljle record, 
although occasionally there are periods when we have the 
journal of l)ut one of them.^ The manuscripts well exem- 
plify the habits and characteristics of the two men — Clark, (he 
more exi)erienced frontiersman of the two, expressing him- 
self sententiously with Doric simplicity and vigor of phrase, 
and often anuisingly eccentric orthography; Lewis, in more 
correct diction, inclined to expat iat(^ on details, especially with 
regard to Indians and natural history, and frcMjuently reveal- 
ing a poetic temperament and a considerable fund of humor. 

In February, LS0(), when the expedition was u})on the 
Pacitic coast. President flett'erson sent to Cono-ress a message, 



a By Clark, dated September 13-December 31, 1805, and described po.^^ 

f'We have much more of Clark in these Journals, than of Lewis. The lacunae in the 
Lewis maiuisoripts, as compared with the dates covered by Clark, arc as follows: 

1S04— May 11, lG-19, 21-September 15; September 18-I)ecembc^]31=2'2Sdays. 

],SOr>— January 1-Fcbruary 2; February 14-April 0; August 27-September f*; September 
11-17, 23-Noveniber 28; December 1-31 ^ 168 days. 

IKOG — Atigust 13-Septeniber 2()=45 days. But during much of this period Lewis was 
di.sabled from a wound, and therefore unable to write. 

The only gap in the Clark journals is the brief period from February 3 to 12 (inclu- 
sive), 1805=10 day.s. 

Whether the missing Lewis entries (441 days, as comi)arcd with Clark; but we may 
eliminate 41 for the i)eriod when he was disabled, thus leaving 4U0) are still in existence 
or not, is unknown to. the i»resenl writer. There api)cars to be no doubt that he regu- 
larly kept his diary. It is possible that the missing notes, in whole or in i)art, were with 
him when he met his death in Tennesst'c, ami wrw citlur accidentally or purposely des- 
troyed by others. 



LEWIS AND Clark's journals. lOi) 

inclosino-, anions- other matters, a letter from Lewis dated at 
Fort ^NlandaM (near the present Bismarck, N. Dak.) in the 
previous April, just as the explorers were leaving- for the 
upper country. At that ]ioint the party had passed their tirst 
winter. The comnumication, descrihino- the experiences of 
the expedition as far as Fort Mandan, was accompanied by 
brief reports of explorations t)n the Ked and AVashita rivers 
b}' Doctor Sibley, Doctor Hunter, and ^^'illjam C Dunbar, 
together ^\ ith statistics of the Western tribes and other data 
of the kind: the ill-assorted whole l)eing- promptly pu])lished 
as a public document." Based upon this fragmentary pul)lica- 
tion, there soon sprung up, both in England and America, a 
long list of popular compilations, telling the story of the 
Lewis and Clark expediticni during its tirst year, expanded 
with miscellaneous information about the ^^'esten^ Indians, 
picked up here and there — some of it singuhirly inaccurate. 

A year later (early in 1S<»T), only a few months after the 
return of the party, there was })u])lished at Philadelphia the 
tirst detailed i-eport of the entire tour — l»eing the journal of 
Sergt. Patrick Gass, an observant man, whose rough but 
generally accurate notes had been carefully written up by an 
Irish schoolmaster, named David McKeehan, of Wellsburg. 
W. Va. This littl(> volume of about 83.(>()0 words,^Mvitli its 
curiously crude illustrations, was reprinted in London in 
1S08, while new American editions appeared at Philadelphia 
in 1810, ISll, and 1812. and a French translation at Pai'is in 
Islo. It is now, in any form, a rare book. 

It had been the intention of Lewis and Clark to publish 
their own journals; they had presented no official detailed 
report to the Government, it being left with them by Jeft'er- 
son, as we shall see. to make such literary use of their material 
as the}' saw fit. Unfortunately for this purpose, both men 

a Message from the President of the United States, communicating discoveries made in 
exploring the Missouri, Red River, and Washita, Ijy Captains Lewis and Clark, Doctor 
Sibley, and Mr. Dunbar; with a statistical account of the countries adjacent (Washing- 
ton, 1800). 

'' A Journal of the Voyages and Travels of a Corps of Discovery, under tlie Command 
of Captain Lewis and Captain Clarke, of the Army of the United States: from the Mouth 
of the River Missouri, through the Interior Parts of North America, to the Pacific Ocean: 
during the Years 1804, 1805, & ISOii. Containing An Autlientic Relation of the most 
interesting Transactions during the Expedition: A Description of the Country: And an 
Account of its Inliabitauts, Soil, Climate, Curiosities, and Vegetable and Animal Produc- 
tions. By Pntrick Gass. One of the Persons employed in the Expedition. With (ieo- 
graphical and Exi)lanatory Notes by the Publisher. Pittsburgh: David M'Keehau. I.SO" 



110 AMEBIC AlSr HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION. 

had soon after their return received, together with commis- 
sions as generals, important government appointments: Lewis 
being made governor of Louisiana Territory, and Clark its 
Indian agent and brigadier-general of militia." The onerous 
duties appertaining to these offices, in the new and vast terri- 
tory through which they had explored, were necessarily 
absorbing; and neither being a literary man, the task of pub- 
lication was under such circumstances easily deferred. 

Urged by Jefferson, however — who had from the first been 
keenly desirous to have the records of the exploration made, 
as soon as possible, the common propert}- of the world — it 
was in 1809 agreed that General Lewis should at once under- 
take the editorship of the journals. Arrangements were made 
with C. & A. Conrad & Co., of Philadelphia, for the publica- 
tion of the work, and a prospectus was circulated with a view 
of obtaining advance subscriptions. Lewis was traveling on 
horseback through Tennessee, on his way to Washington, 
intending thereafter to go to Phihidelphia to enter upon this 
editorial task, when he lost his life during the night of October 
11. A guest, at the time, of a wavside settler some 60 miles 
southwest of Nashville, it was reported that he had committed 
suicide, a theory which Jefferson, probably his closest friend, 
accepted without question; but it was, and still is, believed hy 
many that he was murdered for the small sum of money upon 
his person at the time. 

Clark, now the sole surviving head of the expedition, 
promptly sought the assistance of an editor in bringing out 
the proposed pu))lication. It appears that, prol)a))l3^ earlj^ in 
1810, overtures were made to him from some literary person 
in Richmond, Va. ;''' but these he rejected, and earnestly 
solicited tlie aid of Nicholas Biddle, of Philadelphia. Riddle, 
who had descended from one of the oldest Philadelphia fami 
lies, had graduated from Princeton in his sixteenth 3'ear (1801). 
He had been secretary to fJolm Armstrong, our minister to 
France (1804), and while in Paris had superintended the pav- 

« Upon the expedition, Lewis held a captaincy in the First regiment of infantry; Clark 
had been commissioned as second lieutenant of artillery. On their return they l>oth 
resigned from the army — Clark on February 27, ISO", and Lewis on March 2 following. 
March 3, Jefferson .signed Lewis's commission as governor of Louisiana Territory: nine 
days later he signed Clark's commission as brigadier-general of its militia, an office com- 
bined with that of Indian agent. 

'' See Biddle-Clark correspondence in Cones, Lewis and Clark, 1, jip. Ixxxii et seq. 



LEWTS AND CLARK's JOURNALS. IH 

inent of Americiin claims growing out of the Louisiana pur- 
chase, in this capacity greatly surprising the French officials 
both by his l)rilliancy and his youth. After traveling exten- 
sively in Europe, he became secretary to Mr. Monroe while the 
latter was minister to Great Britain, ]>ut in 1807 returned to 
])ractice law in Philadelphia. At the time of Clark's invitation 
Biddle was only 24: years of age. He had, nevertheless, already 
attained considerable reputation as a financier, lawyer, and 
man of letters in the last-named lield, being editor of the 
Port-folio— and socially was considered ])y many both the 
handsomest and the most charming man in Philadelphia, as 
he certainly was one of the most cultivated. It is small won- 
der that Clark chose him as the writer of the narrative. 

In his second letter to Biddle, dated February 20, ISlO, 
from the home of his fatlier-in-law, Col. George Hancock, 
near Fincastle, Va., then being visited by the General, he 
invites his young friend to come to him at that place, "where 
I have my books and memorandoms and stay with me a week 
or two; read over & make yourself thereby acquainted with 
everything which may not l)e explained in the Journals. ^ * "• 
Such parts as may not be full, I can explain, and add such 
additional matter as I may recollect. I brought the Books 
with me to Copy such parts as are intended for the Botanical 
work which 1 shall send to Docf. Barton, and will deliver the 
Books to you if you will engage to write the naritive &c." 

On ^larch 8 Biddle replied to Clark, regretting ^'that it 
will be out of my power to imdertake what you had the polite- 
ness to otter,"' explaining that "My occupations necessarily 
confine me to Phil", and 1 have neither health nor leisure to 
do sufficient justice to the fruits of your enterprize and inge- 
nuity. You cannot l)e long however without making a more 
fortunate selection.'" 

Two weeks later, however (March 17). h(> again addressed 
(^^lark_who was still at Fincastle and reports having seen 
some of the lattor's friends in I'hiladelphia, the result of the 
conference being that he ^^ will therefore very readily agree 
to do all that is in my power for the advancement of the work; 
and I thiidv. 1 can promise with some confidence that it shall 
be ready as soon as the pu])lisher is prepared to print it. 
Having made up my mind today. I am desirous that no delay 
shall occur on my part."" He therefore will soon visit the 



112 AMEKICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION. 

General at Fincastle. The latter replied (March 25) with 
"most sincere acknowledoments for the friendly sentiments," 
and urged an immediate visit, "as my business calls me to 
Louisiana; and nothing- detains me but the business I wish 
with you." 

J^iddle made the trip to Fincastle, noted Clark's oral state- 
ments, and carried back with him to Philadelphia the jour- 
nals and maps of the expedition, from which he at once began 
to write his narrative. Ia May Clark sent to the editor a 
young man named George Shannon," who as a mere boy of 16 
years, had creditably served as one of the privates in the expe- 
dition. Then 23 years old, and studying for the law, Shannon 
appears to have remained in Philadelphia throughout most of 
the time spent in drafting the narrative, and materially assisted 
Biddle, both in interpreting the notebooks and giving per- 
sonal recollections of the tour. Not only did Clark tender 
the services of Shannon, but he himself was in frequent cor- 
respondence with the editor, and purchased and forwarded to 
him the journal of Sergeant Ordway.^ We have seen that the 
journal of Sergeant Gass had already been published in ISO". 

The talented young editor at once surrendered himself almost 
completely to the ditficult ta^k before him. He had promised 
Clark that the narrative should be ready for the press within 
twelve months. B}' the Tth of July he appears to have finished 
the story of the exploration up to July 7, 1805, above the Falls 
of the Missouri; for in a note to his distinguished correspond- 
ent, chiefi}' concerning the maps for the })ul)lication.'*he play- 
fully says: "To-day 1 have sent you and ten men up into a 
bottom to look for wood to make canoes after the ludiappy 
failure of your iron boat." A year later (July 8, ISll) he 
wrote to Clark, informing him that he had "completed the 
work, agreeable to our engagement," and was "ready to put 
it to the press whenever Mr. Conrad chose." 

a Shannon was born in Pennsylvania, of a good family, in 1787. After the return of 
the expedition he lost a leg as a result of a wound at the hands of Indians, the amputa- 
tion having taken place at St. Charles, Mo. Soon afterserving Biddle, .he was admitted 
to the bar at Louisville, Ky.; beeoming a circuit judge in Kentucky, a State senator in 
Missouri, and United States district attorney for Missouri, fie died suddenly in court 
in 1S3G, aged 49 years. 

''Coues assumes, in his Lewis and Clark, that Biddle had also tlie use of tlu' journnl <if 
Sergeant Pryor, but I can find no evidence to this effect. 

<■ Wfuch were being prepared by F. K. Hassler, Schenectady, N. V. 



LEWIS AND Clark's journals. 113 

In our day a work of this character would caoerly he sought 
hy puhlishers. Stanley, Nordenskjold, Nansen, and Hedin 
have had l)ut to choose among- applicants from the book trade. 
Ninety years ago the situation was far different. John Con- 
rad, a prominent publisher of his day, was finally prevailed 
upon to undertake the work, the financial outcome of which 
seemed to some others doubtful. He appears to have entered 
into the project with nnich interest; but by the time Riddle 
was ready he had fallen into financial straits and in due course 
was plunged into bankruptcy, for this Avas the period of the 
second war with England and business was unsettled. Biddle 
accordingly writes to Clark July 4, LSIL, stating the facts in 
the case and incidentally mentioning that ''last winter I was 
prevented from going to the legislature chiefly by a desire to 
sta}' & superintend the printing.'' He has, however, made 
an arrangement with Thomas Bradford, ''one of the best 
booksellers here," and hopes that "we can proceed vigorously 
& soon get the volumes out." 

Despite Riddle's optimism afl'airs dragged slowly, for Brad- 
ford's terms were unacce})table. Over a year later (Septem- 
ber 5, 1S12), we find Clark offering l^iddle '" the half of every 
proflt arising from it, if yon will attend to it, have it Com- 
pleted as far as it is possihh^ hikI necessary, prented published 
&c. including the advances which have and may be necessary 
c^cc." Biddle does not appear to ha\e accepted this financial 
proposition. More familiar with the book market, he jirob 
ably anticipat(Ml th(^ failure of the project. 

Throughout the entire course of 'the work Conrad continued 
his friendly concern, and assisted Biddle in his strenuous 
search for a publisher. November 12 he tells Biddle by let- 
ter that he has tried Johnson & Warner without success, that 
firm "seem to have so incorrect an id(^a of the value of the 
work and probable profits arising from the publication of it." 
He advises Biddle to ''agree to iVIi'. Bradfords offer. It is 1 
am confident the best bargain you can make forGenl. Clarke. 
The copyright 1 presume will be in him (Genl C.) & I suppose 
he will derive the entire l)enefit of the sale of the M. S. in 
England." 

This advice Biddle in due time felt impelled to accept, and 
February 28, 1818, tells Clark that having found Bradford's 
H. Doc. 745, 58-2— vol 1 8 



114 AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION. 

term.s "not such as I thought advaiitaooous I iiiado proposals 
to all the booksellers in town. The staj^nation in that branch 
of business was so j^reat that no one was willing to enibai'k in 
it, and after a great deal of fruitless negociation I was obligc^d 
to return and on the advice of ^\'. Conrad accept M'. Brad- 
ford's proposals * * * 1 now wait only for the engrav- 
ers who will soon I hope finish their work and then we can 
strike otf the printing inunediatcly i.<: in a little time the work 
will be published."' A year was. lu)W(>vcr. exhausted in the 
mechanical execution of the two small volumes. During this 
time th(^ publishing firm of Bradford t't Inskeep, which under- 
took the work, in their turn became insolvent, and at the 
actual time of publication (February 20. 1S14)" wen^ in tlu^ 
bankruptcy court. 

Just before going to press Biddle was elected to the legis- 
lature, in which he soon won an enviable reputation for states- 
manlike (jualities. Being thus i)revented from paving that 
attention to the b(K)k which he thought it deserved, he engaged 
Paul Allen, a Philadelphia newspaper writer, to supervise the 
issue. In a letter to Clark (March 28), reviewing some of the 
circumstances of the pul)lication, Biddle says: "The gentle- 
man who received and prepared it for the press, Mr. Allen, 
is a very capaV)le person, and as I did not put the finishing 
hand to tht> volumes I did not think it right to take from him 
the credit of his own exei'tion and care by aiuiouncing per- 
sonally the part which I had in the compilation. I am content 
that my trouble in the business should be n^cognized only by 
the pleasure which attended it and also by the satisfaction of 
making your acciuaintance, which I shall always value. 1 
could ha\e wished that your time had permitted you to revise 
the whole of the work, as no doubt some errors and inadvert- 
ences have from the nature of the volumes and the circum- 
stances attending the publication crept into them. I hope, 
however, that 3'ou will not Hnd them very numerous or impor- 

"Thf drtte of the first siilo of volumes. See Coues's Lewis and Clark. I, pp. xci, xcii, for 
detailed statement of the financial outcome of the enterprise. 

The full title of the work was: History of the Expedition under the Command of Cap- 
t4iins Lewis and Clark, to the Sources of tlie Missouri, thence across the Kocky Moun- 
tains and down the Kivcr Columbia to the racilic Ocean. I'erformed durinjj the Years 
1S04-.V6. By order of the (iovcrnment of the Cnilcd Slati's. Prepared for the Press hy 
Paul Allen, Esquire. I'hiladelphia: Bra<lford and Inskeep, ISU. 2 vols. 



LEWIS AND Clark's journals. 115 

taut. * * * HiMiccfordi you iiiay sleep upon your fiuu(\ 
w liicli must last as loiio- as hooks can endure. Mr. Bi'adford 
has, I presume, sent you a copy of the work." Not long aftei* 
this (July 1, 1S18), (Jeneral Clark, who since the expedition 
had been a resident of St. Louis, had been appointed iL^'overnor 
of Missouri Territory. 

Despite Biddh^'s determination to claim no credit for th<>, 
<i'i'(>at nariative wiiich has lony' Ixm'ii n^ii'arded a classic in Amer- 
ican histoi'v, it is ((uitc apparent that Allen's connection with 
the entei'pi'ise was but that of reviser for the press. Il(^ him- 
self modestly states in the preface that he does not wish "to 
ai'rouate anythinj^" fi'om the ex(>rtions of others;" that '"he 
found but little to change, and that his labor has been princi- 
})ally coniined to revising- the mamiscript, comparing- it with 
the <)ri<i;inal ])a})ers, and ins(M'tino- such additional mattei' as 
a]>pears to hav(^ been intentionally deferred by the writei- [Mr. 
Biddle] till ihe ])eriod of a more mature revisal." Allen se- 
cured from President JetiVu-son an admirable memoir of Lewis: 
possil)ly he also l)locked out the cha})ters; and the mechanical 
foiiu may in a measurt^ be due to him. His la])ors were doubt- 
less important from the typ<)iirai)hical and clerical side; but 
of course th(> credit for the enterprise should chiefly rest with 
Biddl(\ That the latter had finished the work, readj^ for the 
final touches of a pi'actical reviser for the press, is evident 
from his own lettei's to Clai'k. as well as the confirmatory 
statement which has come down to us fi'om Conrad. 

In his admirable edition of the 'J'ravels (New York, 181^3, 4 
vols.) Dr. Llliott Coues spends nuu-h s])ace and energy in per- 
sistently hea])ino- \itu[)ei'ati()n on Allen for fathering a work 
mainly ])ei-formed by another. P)iddle had the undoubted right 
to withdraw his Jianie frc^n public conncH'tion with the narra- 
tive. \\g may consider his reasons Quixotic, but he was 
entitled to be guided by them, and they certairdy bespeak a 
nature more generous than we are accustomed to meet. As for 
Allen, it is (|uit(> e\ident that he did Iiis part with becoming 
modesty; and no doubt he wcdl earned the fee of $500 — partly 
taken out in trade with which he was rewarded by the pub- 
lishers. Press i-evision and proof r(>ading are no light tasks; 
although we might wish that, while he was at it, he had also 
ifiven us an index. 



116 AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION. 

The size of the edition Ava.s appureiitly ^,0(io copies/' Of 
these it would seem that 583 were either lost in some manner — 
"supposed to be destroyed in binder's or printer's hands" — 
or were defective from lacking- plates. This would leave for 
sale only 1,417 perfect copies, which explains why the book 
is now rare. The net prohts on the enterprise were computed 
at $151.10, of which neither Clark nor I^iddle appears to have 
received a penny. The copper plates of the entTra\ cd maps 
became the property of the latter, and are now owned l)y his 
son, Hon. Craig- Biddle, of Philadelphia. To Clark was left 
the copyright. As for the heirs of Lewis, we lind them '' as 
late as 1816-17 making appli<-ation to Clark for their share of 
the earnings, ''persuaded that protit arising from that work 
has been received." and l)eing informed by the kind-hearted 
governor of the dismal result of the enteiprise. 

Over two and a half years after the pu])lication a letter 
from Clark to Jefierson (October lO, 1816)'' reveals the fact 
that the explorer had himself ''not been so fortunate as to 
procure a single volume as yet" — thus showing that Brad- 
ford, in the midst of his financial trou])les, had not carried 
out his agreement with Biddle, mentioned above, to transmit 
a cop3' of the work to th<> man diic^Hy concerned in its np- 
pearance. 

The service of Biddle in editing the journals of the Lewis 
and (lark expedition was a far more ditlicult literary under- 
taking than is conunoidy supposed. The entli'e mass of notes 
wiiich he had befoi'e him may l)e thus roughly com})uted: 

Words. 
Lewis and Clark journals (Aiiier. Phil<>f^oi)luc:il Society codices). 900,000 

Gass journal (as printed) 88, 000 

Ordway journal — unknown, but ]>()ssil»ly 100, 000 



1,083,000 



To this we should add al)()ut 150,000 words in the Chirk- 
Voorhis collection, later to ])e desoribed, and inidoul)tedly at 
one time in Biddle's hands, and whatever additional notes \\c 
ma}' have made during conversations with Clark and Shannon, 

"In this I follow Coues." 

'>Coucs. I, pj). xpiii, xciv. 

<■ Original Ms. in po.ssession of Anicricaii i'liilosoipliicnl Scx'icly. 



LEWIS AND OLATJk's .TOTTRNALS. 1.17 

or a.s the result of correspondence with the former — and they 
must have been copious. A large proportion of the scientific 
matter of the Lewis and CMark notebooks, however — which 
may have aggreg-ated possibly a fourth of the journals as a 
whole — had been eliminated by Clark and Biddle. This 
material, carefully copied out, was sent to Dr. Benjamin 
Smith Barton, an eminent naturalist in Philadelphia." . Doctor 
Barton agreed to prepare a special \olume, "which was to 
have been (hy contract) prepannl in six months from the 
time" of the appearance of the narrati\ e of the journey. 
Owing to Barton's illness and consequent death this "cientific 
part"* was not written. Thus, while the J^iddle narrative 
gives a popidar account of some of the principal discoveries, 
the scientific data so laljoriously kept by Lewis and Clark — 
chiefiy the foi-mer — has thus far not been given to the world. 
It was Biddle's task to weave this great mass of heterogene- 
ous data into a readable narrative which should have unity 
and a simple and forcefid literary stjde. Adopting so far as 
possil)k^ the language of the original journals, where essential 
he amplities and explains them from his additional data, it 
being plain to see, on comparison with the originals, wherein 
Clark and Shannon and th(» Ordway and Gass journals had 
assisted him to a n)ore complete understanding. The nearly 
1,200, 000 words of the originals he condensed into 870,000 
words. The first person plural is used, save where the 
captains are individually mentioned, and then we have the 
third person singular. So skillfully is the work done that 
probal)ly few readers liave realized that thev had not be- 
fore them the veritable journals of the explorers themselves, 
written upon the spot. The result will always remain one 
of the best digested and most interesting books of Ameri- 
can travel, comparable in many respects with Astoria and 
Bonneville's Adventures — of course lacking Ir\ ing's charm of 
style, but possessing what Irving's two Western classics do 
not, the ring of truth, which never fails to appeal to those 
who love a tale of noble adventure in the cause of civilization. 



"A professor of medicine in the rniversity of T'eiinsylvania anri a vice-jiresident i)f the 
American Philosophical Society. 

''Clark's letter to Jefferson, dated St. Lmiis, OctolnT 10, Isic, in archives of American 
Philosophical Society. 



118 AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION. 

We have seen that Jefferson, who set on foot the expedi- 
tion," had from the first expressed much concern in its 
records, both in the makinc^ and the publication. lie had 
urged their earl}' printing, and on Lewis's death si)urred 
Clark to action, with what result has been related. The 
dilatoriness of that perfornmnce — for which Clark, however, 
was oidy partly responsible — fretted the great man. Decem- 
ber (), 1813, he wrote to Baron von Humboldt. ''You will 
find it inconceivable that Lewis's journey to the Pacitic should 
not yet have appeared; nor is it in my power to tell you the 
reason. The measures taken by his surviving companion, 
Clark, for the publication, have not answered our wishes in 
point of dispatch. I think, however, from what I have heard, 
that the mere journal will be out within a few weeks in two 
volumes, 8vo. These I will take care to send you with the 
tol)acco seed you desired, if it he possible for them to escape 
the thousand ships of our enemies spread over the ocean. 
The botanical and zoological discoveries of Lewis will prob- 
ably experience greater delav- and become known to the 
world through other channels before that volume will ])e 
ready. The Atlas, I believe, waits on the leisure of the 
engraver."* Nearly a hundred yps^rs have elapsed, and we 
still await its publication. 

Three years later (ISIO) we find Jefferson instituting a 
search for the manuscript journals of the explorers, with a 
view of placing them in the archives of the American Philo- 
so])hical Society. He writes (April 20) '' to Prof. Joseph F. 
Correa da Serra, a botanist then holding membership in the 
society, asking him, in the cause or science, to interest him- 

alii 1783 he suggested to Gen. George Rogers Clark, oldest brother of William, an expe- 
dition "for exploring the country from the Missisipi to California," but nothing came 
of it. The original MS. of this letter is in the Draper MSS., Wisconsin Historical Society, 
press mark 52 .1 93. In 178(), while American minister at Paris, he proposed to .John 
Led yard, of Connecticut, apian for penetratingthrough Russia and Siberia to Kamchatka, 
"and procuring a passage thence in some of the Russian vessels to Nootka Sound, whence 
he might make his way across the continent to America [the United States]." But 
Lcdyard was turned back l)y order of Empress Catherine II, when within a fi'w days of 
Kamchatka, and this project failed. (See JelYerson's " .\utobiography " in Ford's edition 
of his writings, I, pp. 9-1-96.) In 1793 he arranged with the French botanist Aiidre 
Michaux to make a transcontinental tour up the Missouri and down the Colinubia; but 
Michaux became involved in the Genet intrigue and got no farther west than Kentucky. 
Ten years hiter his fourth attempt succeeded under tlie direction of Lewis and Clark. 

('F'ord, IX, p. 433. 

oThe original MS. of this letter is in the possession of the society. 



LEWIS AND Clark's journals. 119 

self in the matter, and describing- in some detail the character 
of the documents — with which he was himself familiar, for he 
had handled them at Monticello. These papers, he informs 
Da Serra, "are the property of the government, the fruits of 
the expedition undertaken at such expence of money and risk 
of valuable lives. They contain exactly the whole of the 
information which it was our object to obtain for the bene- 
fit of our own country and of the world, but we were willing 
to give to Lewas and Clarke Avhatever pecuniary benefits 
might be derived from the pul)lication, and therefore left the 
papers in their hands, taking for granted that their interests 
would produce a speedy publication, which would be better 
if done under their direction, but the death of Cap' Lewis, 
the distance and occupations of General Clarke, and the bank- 
ruptcy of their bookseller, have retarded the pul)lication, 
and rendered necessary that the government should attend 
to the reclamation & security of the papers, their recovery 
is now become an imperious duty, their safest deposit 
as fast as they can be collected, will be the Philosophical 
society, who no doubt will be so kind as to recieve and pre- 
serve them, su])ject to the order of government. '■' * * 
As to any claims of individuals to these papers, it is to be 
observed that, as being the property of the public, we are cer- 
tain neither Lewis nor Chirke would undertake to conve}^ 
away the right to them, and that they could not convey them, 
had they been capable of intending it. * * " my inter- 
ference will, 1 trust, be excused, not oidy from tlie portion 
which every citizen has in whatever is public, but from the 
peculiar part I have had in the design and execution of this 
expedition." 

It appears that Biddle, who still held the majority of the 
notebooks, was disinclined to surrender them to Jetferson 
save on order of Clark. September S Jetl'erson wrote to the 
General soliciting such an order, to '•))e given in favor either 
of the War office or myself. * * * 1 should receive them 
only in trust for the War office, to which they belong, and 
take their orders relating to them." He wishes to deposit 
with the Philosophical Society " for safe-keeping the travelling 
pocket journals as originals to be recurred to on all interest- 
ing questions arising out of the published journal,'* his desire 



120 AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION. 

being to secure '"to the world all the benelicial results we 
were entitled to expect from it [the expedition] and which 
would so fully justif 3' the expences of the expedition incurred 
by the United States in that expectation." 

October 10, Clark responds to Jefferson" by inclosino' "an 
Order on m^^ friend M'". Biddle for the papers in his posses- 
sion;" Biddle being- at the same time instructed as his agent, 
"to collect all the Books, papers, specimens, &c.,'' in the 
hands of Doctor Barton's heirs or others. Clark expresses 
interest in fJefferson's desire to collect the papers, and adds: 
"From the mortification of not haveing succeeded in giving 
to the world all the results of that expedition, I feel Relief & 
greatitude for the interest which you are willing to take, in 
effecting what has not been in my power to accomplish." 
Curiously enough, as we shall soon see, Clark appears to have 
had at the time in his possession at St. Louis hve of his own 
original journals, nearl}^ all the maps of the expedition, and 
many miscellaneous documents concerning it; these he did 
not surrender. 

June 28, 1817, Jefferson writes to Dr. John Vaughan, of 
the society, saying that although ]Mr. Da Serra had o})tained 
several notebooks from Mr. Biddle and Mrs. Barton, there 
was still experienced considerable difficulty in collecting all 
of the documents. Evidentl}^ much annoyed, he proposes to 
bring pressure to bear through the Secretar}' of War, "that 
office having some rights to these papers." The further sug- 
gestion is made that the societ}-^ publish "in their Transac- 
tions or otherwise," a digest of the "zoological, vegetable c^ 
mineralogical papers & subjects." 

On the Sth of Api'il, 1818, we learn from the manuscript 
minutes of the society that " Mr. Nicholas Biddle deposited 
the original journals of Lewis and Clark, with an account of 
them and of those journals and documents which he was not 
possessed of." The following receipt therefor was ordered 
to be given ))y the secretary: 

Rec'.' April 8. 1818 of Nicholas Biddle 14 Volumes of the Pocket .IouiikiI 
of Mefs Lewis & Clarke: a Volume of astronomical observations ct otlier 
Matter by Capt Lewis: a fmall Copy Book containing fome Notes by Capt. 
Lewis-^; A Rough draft of his letter to tlie President from St. Louis 



"Original MS. in possession of Amcriran Philosophical Society. 



LEWIS AND Clark's journals. 121 

announcing his return — Two Statistical Tables of the Indian Tribes Wei^t 
of the IVlii'sifsipi river made by Governor Clarke: All which are Deposited 
with the Hist Com'"' in compliance with the recjuest of Gov'' Clark in his 
Letter to Nicholas Biddle dated 10 Oct 1816 & forwarded to the Hist. Com'^<= 
by Mr. Jefferson. 

It is understood & agreed on the part of the Histo. Com'''' in recieving 
these books & papers, that Gov. W'" Clark his heirs or afsigns shall at all 
times have the full use of them for any future edition of his Travels. By 
order of the Hist. Com''''. Jn Vaughan recording Sec. of the Hist. & Lit 
Class of the Am. Ph. Soc. 

The deposit was accompanied 1)}- this letter from Mr. Bid- 
die, g'ivino- interesting particiilar.s, which in the present con- 
nection are worthy of preservation:" 

PiiiLAO'^ April (J, ISIS 

Dear Sir: I have the pleasure of depositing with the Historical Com- 
mittee the papers & books which accompany this letter, in compliance 
with the re(ine8t of Governor Clark in his letter to me of the 10th of Octo- 
ber 1816 transmitted by Mr Jefferson. 

It may ])erhaps be useful to add such notices of other objects connected 
with them, as may enable the Committee to extend its researches. 

It was in the Spring of 1810 that I received from (Tovernor Clark in \\r- 
ginia, t^- l)rought to Philadelphia the papers & documents deemed necef- 
sary for the publication of the Travels. They consisted of, 

1. A large majiof the country between the Misfifsipi <*c the Pacific illus- 
trating the course of the journey. 

2. A map for M'' Hafsler who was in the state of New Yoi'k and engage<l 
in some astronomical calculations for the work. 

8. Some documents for I)'' Barton. 

4. The manuscript journal of Serjeant Ordwaj', one of the ]>arty 

5. The pocket-Journals of the expedition, of these 

(1) The map after the draft was made from it for the engraver was 
delivered by the draftsman, M'' Lewis, to Governor Clark when last in 
Phili' about the year 1813. 

(2) The other maj) was forwarded by M'" Vaughan to M' Hafsler, who 
in his letterdated Aug. 12. ISlOat Schenectady mentioned the receipt of it. 

(3) The documents for D'" Barton, were delivered to him immediately 
after my arrival in Phil". Not having received any list of them from Gov'' 
('lark I of course took none from D'' Barton, and as I was merely the 
Ijearer of them, my recollection is not as accurate as it would have been 
had they fallen more innnediately under my examination. My imprefsion 
however is that the packet for D'' Barton consisted of small manuscript 
books & some papers. The Ijooks were chiefly extracts relative to objects 
of natural history taken from the original Journal now deposited with the 
Committee. The papers were Indian vocabularies, collected during the 
journey. They formed, I think, a bundle of loose sheets each sheet con- 
taining a i>rinted vocabidary in English with the corresponding Indian 



« Original MS. in possession of tlie society. 



122 AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION. 

name in manuscrii)t. There was also another collection of Indian vocabu- 
laries, which, if I am not mistaken, was in the handwriting of "SV Jefferson. « 

I have turned to my letter to CJovernor Clark dated July 7. 1810, the 
first to him after my arrival at Phil", in hopes of finding some further 
particulars, but the letter merely states in general terms " I need not say 
that I arrived safe at this place — that the map was immediately forwarded 
to M'' Hafsler, and that D"' Barton received all his papers." In the preface 
to the printed travels which, being published in Phil-' whilst D"^ Barton 
was there, must be j^resumed to have been correct — it is stated that "those 
parts of the work which relate to the various objects of natural history 
observed or collected during the journey, as well as the alphabets of the 
Indian languages are in the hands of Profefsor Barton, and will it is under- 
stood, shortly appear." This was in 1814. 

I have mentioned these particulars fo minutely because the description 
may perhaj)S enable some of the Committee to recognize the vocal)ularies, 
which I incline to think were the only things delivered by me to D'' Barton 
not included in the volumes now deposited. 

(4) The journal of Serjeant Ord way was I believe a private purchase from 
that person. Governor Clark in his letter to me of the 24 Jany. 1818 
desires me to send it to him. 

(5) The Journals of MelV** Lewis & Clark from the beginning to the end 
of the journey are contained in the 14 volumes, all of which are now 
deposited. There is besides one volume of astronomical observations & 
other matter by Captain Lewis, a small copy book containing some notes 
by Captain Lewis — the rough draft of his letter to the President from S' 
Louis announcing his return — and two statistical tables of the various tribes 
of Indians west of the i\Iifsifsij)i made by (lovernor Clark. 

The.'^e are all the observations which occur to me as promising to ))e use- 
ful to the Committee. 

Very respectfully yrs 

Nicholas Biddlic 
Honble William Tilghman, 

Chuirtnati of the Historical Voimnittee of tlw Pltilosl Society. 

Here the records of Jefferson's search suddenly stop. 
Neither the FediMal Government nor the American Pliilo- 
sophical Society having- decided to publish them, these price- 
less manuscripts slumbered untouched for nearly seventy-five 
yeai's in the library v'ault of the society, practically unknown 
to historical scholars. The two-volume Hidtlle narrative — an 
al)l)r(>\ iated paraphrase, but commonly accepted by the world 
as the actual journals of Lewis and Clark — had, after the 
first period of neglect, been reprinted over and over again in 

a Several copies of the Indian vocabulary blank prepared by Jefferson are in the po.sses- 
.sion of the Aniericiui Philosophical Society, hiiviiiK been presented by him in October, 
1820. It consists of a slicet 7j by ID] inches, iirinlt-d on botli sides— uUIkuikIi tliere are 
.some whieli were printed on but one side of a slieet twice this widtli, the two pa{<es 
standing side by side. Those filled out represent, amonj; others, the Miami, Micmac, 
Shawnee, Chippewa, and Leni'i])e laiifjuafres, while several are still blank. In the collec- 
tion are none wliicli appear to have cniiiiiiiteil from tlic Lewis and Clark expedition. 



LEWIS AND Clark's journals. 123 

England and America (about twenty distinct editions) and 
been translated into the German and Dutch Umguages. 

In 1892 Dr. P^lliott Cones, eminent as a scientist and trav- 
eler, as well as an editor of American historical sources, was 
engaged in editing with elaborate notes a new edition of 
Biddle. He already had most, if not all, of his matter before 
him in galle}- proofs when (Dece'mber) he learned for thetirst 
time of the existence of the original manuscripts in Philadel- 
phia. Armed with a letter from the explorer's son, Jefferson 
Kearny Clark, of St. Louis, Cones requested the loan of the 
journals from their custodians. This was granted by the 
society (vote of December 16), and the manuscri})ts were 
accordingly sent to him at Washington. He considered it too 
late to block out the work afresh and to discard Biddle\s text, 
l)ut compromised by enriching his notes with many citations 
from the originals — unfortunately freely modernized, as was 
his custom with all of the Western manuscripts which he 
edited — and from them also compiled a new chapter in the 
Biddle style, which lie inserted into the body of the book as 
though a part of the Biddle text. His modified excerpts but 
served to whet the appetites of Western historians, and thus 
led to the project for their eventual publication in extensoand 
with literal accuracy. 

In returning the journals to the society Coues transmitted 
therewith a detailed report upon their scope and condition." 
While in his possession he attached to each journal (or codex) 
a memorandum summarizing its contents, and to each codex 
gave an identifying letter, running from A to T.'' This was 

o Published in American Philosophical Proceedings, XXXI (No. 140), pp. 17-33. 

'> There are in this collection eighteen noteboolis in all, and twelve parcelsof loose sheets. 
Of these, thirteen are small books, bound in red morocco covers, 8^ by 5| inches in dimen- 
sion, each containing ir>2 pages — seven of these books are by Lewis and six by Clark; they 
are collectively called "the red books," and are Codices D-P of Coues's arrangement. 
There is one volume by Clark of .similar size, bound in brown leather and containing '.i74 
pages, which is lettered as Codex C. Then come four bound in boards, marble paper 
sides, containing about 184 pages each, two being by Clark and two by both explorers, 
known as Codices A, B, Q, and R. The loose sheets, consisting of leaves torn from the 
other books, are labeled Codices Aa, Ba, Fa, Kb, Fc, Fd, Fe, la. La, Lb, S, and T. It is diffi- 
cult to say which of these, if any, were actually carried in the field. In his letter to Da 
Serra of April 26, 1816, already cited, Jeffer.son assumes that the red morocco books were 
carried in the field by Lewis, " in which, in his own handwriting, he had journalized all 
occurrences, day by day, as he travelled;" indeed, we have already seen that Jeffer.son 
called therii " travelling pocket journals." Cones thinks, however, that probably n.)ne of 
the codices, except possibly Codex C, was a field book, but was written up afterwards. It 
is not necessary here to cite the evidence in detail, but I am also inclined to this view, 
save that as Codex C differs radically in appearance from the known Clark field book in 
the po.ssession of the Voorhis family (to be described later), I am disposed to consider C 
as a copy, po.s.sibly made at Fort Mandan or Fort Clatsop. 



124 AMERICAlSr HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION. 

commendable, but certain other liberties which he took with 
these precious manuscripts merit our condenniation, for in 
many codices he freely interlined the text with his own verbal 
changes and comments, and in general appeared to treat the 
material as though mere copy for the printer, which might be 
revised b}^ him with impunity. Apparently the codices were 
unopened by the custodians after their return, for it was not 
until the summer of 1903 that the societ}' authorities were 
made aware, by one who was examining them in detail, of the 
astonishing- treatment to which they had been subjected l)}- 
Coues. 

The next chapter in the story opened in the spring' of 1901, 
when the society's historical committee determined — in view 
of the forthcoming Louisiana Purchase Centennial — at last to 
carry out Mr. Jefferson's suggestion, and secure the pul)lica- 
tion of the Lewis and Clark journals direct from the original 
manuscripts in their custod}". The}' succeeded in interesting 
in this project the firm of Dodd, Mead & Co., of New York, 
who in turn engaged the present writer as editor of the Avork. 

In the course of the consequent investigation into the 
sources there came to view in the society's library a few other 
Lewis and Clark items, besides the codices handled and labek^l 
))y Coues. These were chiefl}- statistical tables regarding the 
Western Indians, a meteorological record, and a list of the 
explorers' specimens sent from Fort Mandan to the society" — 
matters of considerable, although notconmumding, importance. 

In Coues's report on the codices, as published in the Soci- 
ety's Proceedings,^ occurs this note: "One of Clark's joui- 
nals is now in the possession of his son, Mr. Jefferson K. 
Clark, of St. Louis. 1 am not informed of the date covered 
b}" this volume, nor of the nature of its contents." Upon 
assuming charge of the proposed publication, the writer at 
once approached the widow of Mr. Clark — the latter had died 
in New York soon after the appearance of the Coues edition 
and requested an opportunity of examining this notebook, 
imder the supposition that it was the Ordway journal, which 
had been returned to General Clark as })eing his private 
property, purchased by him. For a long time this request 

a Many of these are still preserved by the Aeadcmy of Sciences of Philadelphia. 
('Page 22 of publication previously cited. 



LEWIS AND Clark's journals. 125 

iuul many successive appeals through friends of the family 
were unanswered. Later it appeared that the })resent owners 
of the papers of William Clark were his granddauohter, Mrs. 
Julia Clark Voorhis, and her daughter. jVIiss Eleanor (llasgow 
Voorhis, both of New York City. The father of Mrs. Voor 
his was the late (xeorge Eogers Hancock Clark, young(»r son 
of Wiiliiim, and the executor of the hitter's estat(^ In this 
manner the family manuscripts relating- to the expedition had 
descended to these two ladies. 

In October, 1903, the writer was invited to visit the Voorhis 
home and examine material which had been uncovered during- 
the search instituted ])v the ladies for the Ordway journal. 
The store of manuscripts which was shown to him upon his 
arrival was of surprising- richness, consisting- of the following- 
items: 

Clark jdiinhih. 

Red luorocro iiotelxiok No. 1.— Diary, April 7-July :!, ISO.t; ;1S,(K)() 
words, witii three ni:ii>s (if the Fails of the Missouri. 

Kifld Ixiok, hiiund in a rude piece of elkskin, secured by a thong and 
liutton, and undoiditediy carried in Clark's pocket upon the expedition — 
Diary, Septendn'r lo-Deceniber .SI, 1805; 20,000 words, with over a dozen 
full-page sketch maps of the trail over the mountains, interwoven with 
the badly-blurred text. 

\\i.'i\ morocco notebook No. 2. — Diary, January oO-Ajtril :S, ISOti; -11.000 
words, with numerous pen sketches of canoes, birds, dwellings, tools, etc., 
by the same hand (Clark's) asthose contained in Lewis's codicesof similar 
dates in the American IMiilosopliical Socit'ty's collection. 

Red morocco notelxiok No. M. — Diary, Ajiril 4-June (i, l<SO<i; .So, 000 
words, with some sketch maps. 

Fragment of journal. — Detached leaves, giving evidently first draft of 
entries, Aj.ril ]H-21, 1806; 2,300 words. 

Eed morocco notebook No. 4. — No diary, but containing sundry notes 
and tables of weather, distances, astronomical and ethnological data — all 
covered, liowever, in more finished manuscripts in the American Philo- 
sophical Society's collection. There are also in this book four excellent 
colored maps. 

Mhcdldiiioiix iniilerUiI. 

An orderly book running from April 1-Oc.tober l.'J, 1S04, and a detached 
entry for January 1, 180(5; detached orders promulgated at River Dubois 
camp February 20 and INIarch 4, 1S04; also several other detached orders 
issued during the expedition. 

Ten letters (some of them drafts). — Lewis offering (June !!•, 1803) 
Clark an equal partnership in command of the exi)edition; Clark's accept- 
ance thereof (July 17); Clark's letter to President Jefferson (July 24), 



12(i AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION. 

int'orming him of acceptance; Lewis to Clark (August 3), expressing liis 
gratification at the latter's acceptance; six others, chiefly by Clark, relating 
to various phases of the expedition. 

Numerous other letters and memoranda — among them an original of 
Jefferson's letter of credit; Clark's various military commissions before, 
during, and after the expedition; fragmentary records of courses and dis- 
tances, Indian tribes, weather data, and the like; and data concerning the 
Assinniboin country, obtained from British traders at Fort Mandan. 

Most important of all the documents are about sixty detailed maps, for 
the most ]>art made l)y Clark, while on the trip. Collectively, these illus- 
trate the greater part of the journey both going and returning, indicate 
camping places, and contain many interesting comments on the country 
and the Indians. These charts vary in size from 8 inches square to 
several feet long. 

In addition to the above materials bearing directly on the 
expedition, there are in this collection a considerable store of 
manuscripts concerning the career of William Clark during- 
the period prior and anterior to the expedition, some of tliem 
being of much importance in connection with the early history 
of the territories of Louisiana and Missouri; there are also 
numerous luanuscripts l)earino- upon the life of George Rogers 
Clark, William's elder l)rother. These, and several oil paint- 
ings of the Clarks — chiefly George Rogers and William — 
together with numerous valuable relics of these men, make of 
the home of Mrs. Voorhis a museum of great interest to stu- 
dents of Western history. 

Two interesting queries arise in this connection: (1) How 
did General Clark obtain possession of this wealth of maiui- 
.scripts, when all the records of the expedition were suppos(>d 
to be in the hands of Biddle and Barton, as editors, and by the 
latter were delivered on Clark's order, and at Jefl'erson's re- 
quest, to the JMiilosophical Society ? (2) Why did not the Gen- 
eral surrender them either to the Philosophical Society oi- to 
Jefl'erson, when the latter was eagerly searching for all the 
documents in the case, claiming tluMu as the undoubted pro])- 
ert}'^ of the Government, and all the while Clark was ostensi- 
bly assisting him to that end? 

To the first (juery the })robal)le answer is that Biddle found 
these particular notebooks of no service to him, for all of the 
facts contained in them are either in Lewis's journals of sinii 
lar dates or in other drafts bv Clark — as a rule, fuller and in 



LEWIS AND Clark's journals. 127 

better form. He therefore proV)at)ly returned the books to 
Clark in the earl}' stages of the work, keeping- only those which 
later were placed in the society's archives and which sufficiently 
l)resent the entire story of the expedition. It is probable, 
also, that the engTaver having conn)leted the necessary maps 
for the publication, all of the charts made upon the expedi- 
tion were returned to Clark. As for the elkskin-])ound field 
book, already transcribed into another volume, this probably 
did not go to Biddle at all. The orderly book, the various 
fragments, the Lewis-Clark correspondence, and the letter of 
credit were doubtless also kept at St. Louis as being deemed 
for Riddle's purpose of a popular narrative unusable material. 
As for the Ordway journal, it is on record that this was 
returned to Clark, although thus far it has not been discovered 
among his papers. 

That these documents were not surrendered by Clark to 
Jefferson during the latter\s search was possibly occasioned })y 
the fact that Clark — an exceptionally busy man, yet in this 
affair apparently quite lacking in business habits — had either 
lorgotten their existence or, like Biddle, considered them as 
of slight historical value. His seemingly careless treatment 
of them would appear to bear out the last conclusion. Clark 
(who died in 1838) lived at a fine country homestead, 
"Minoma,'" in the outskirts of St. Louis, and kept all his 
private papers pigeonholed in an old secretary. This piece of 
furniture came into the possession of his third son, George 
Rogers Hancock Clark, who in later years roughly arranged 
his father's papers into bundles and lal)elled them. His 
daughter, Mrs. Voorhis, sonje half dozen years ago, first 
examined these in a general way, and at once recognized their 
value as literar}^ material; she was indeed, she states, engaged 
in preparing some of the documents for publication when the 
present writer came upon the scene. His search for the Ord- 
way journal stimulated Mrs. and Miss Voorhis into a closer 
scrutiny of their family treasures, and in due course negotia- 
tions were entered into with them, resulting in the inclusion 
of all their Lewis and Clark material in the projected publica- 
tion of the original journals of the expedition. 

It has often been asserted that Sergeant Pryor wrote a jour- 
nal of the expedition, and some have assumed that Biddle 
used it in preparing the nai'rative of LSll; but evidence to 



128 AMERICMnT historical ASSOCIATION". 

this effect .seems to be waiitino- — in any event, no one now 
seems to know the whercal)0\its of this nianuscrij^t. The 
journal (12,500 words, covering the dates March 13-August 
18, 1804:) of Sergeant Floyd, the only man of the party to 
meet death during the trip," was, in the spring of 1805, sent 
from Fort Mandan to his parents in Kentucky, and eventu- 
ally became the property of the Wisconsin Historical Society. 
It was published in 181>4 in the Proceedings of the American 
Antiquarian Society, with an introduction l)v James Davie 
Butler. Soon after the return of the expedition, Kobert 
Fraser, one of thepiivates, solicited subscriptions in Vermont 
for a publication of his journal, to be "contained in about 
4:i)() pages octavo;" l)ut it did not appear, and the present 
writer has no knowledge of the manuscript. The existence 
of a journal (67,000 words, covering the dates lS/Ln.y 14, 1804- 
November 6, 1805) by Private Joseph Whitehouse was un- 
known until recently. It was purchased in San Francisco by 
Dodd, Mead & Co., to l)e published in connection with the 
original journals of Lewis and Clark. After having been edited 
for the press the manuscript was acquired from the publish- 
ers by Edward E. Ayer, the well-known Chicago collector. 

Thus, seventy-five years after Jefferson's quest, and within 
a few weeks of a hundred years after the arrival of the Lewis 
and Clark expedition at their preliminary camp on Iliver 
Du])()is, there have at last been located presumal)ly all of the 
literary records now extant of that notable enterprise in the 
cause of civilization. 

When published, as they bid fair to ])e witliin a twehe- 
month, their original journals will create a new intei'est in the 
deeds of Lewis and Clark. Not only are they much more 
extensive than the Biddle narrative, and the voluminous scien- 
tific data — in botany, zoology, meteorology, geology, astron- 
omy, and ethnologj'^ — an almost entirely new contribution ; l)ut 
V e obtain fi'om th(> men's notebooks, as written from day to 
day, a far more vivid picture of the explorers and their life 
than can he seen through the alembic of I^iddle's inqxTsonal 
condensation. 

o Floyd, aged about 20 years (possibly 23), died near the site of the present Sioux City, 
Iowa, May U, 1804, and was buried on the top of a neighboring bluiT. The site is now 
marked by a stately stone monument dedieatcd (May 30, 1901) to his memory by the 
Floyd Memorial Association. See reports of tlie association — First, 1897; second, 1901. 



LEWIS AND Clark's jouknals. 



129 



The paces of the iournals are aglow with human interest. 
The quiet%ven temper of the camp; the loving consideration 
that each of the two leaders felt for the other; the mag- 
nanimity of Lewis, officially the leader, in equally dividing 
every honor with his friend, and making no move without the 
lutteVs consent; the poetic temperament of Lewis, who loved 
ilowers and animals, and in his notes discoursed like a philos- 
opher who enjoyed the exercise of writing; the rugged char- 
acter of (nark, who wrote in brief, pointed phrase, and, less 
educated of the two, spelled phonetically, capitalized chaot- 
icallv, and occasionally slipped in liis grammar-all these, and 
more, are evident on every page, causing the reader deeply 
to admire the men and to follow them in their often thrilling 
adventures with the keenest sympathy and anticipation. W e 
shall hereafter know Lewis and Clark as we never knew 
them before. The Biddle narrative will no doubt continue to 
live as the brief popular account of an exploration fraught 
with o-reat consequence to American expansion; but at least 
the student of historv will feel that the original records, as 
the men wrote them on the spot, are by far the more satisfy- 
ing of the two. 

H. Doc. 745, 58-2— vol 1 9 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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